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Simple Text Sig (Photoshop)

Dan asked me how to do this a while back and this is a simple version. BB2W has a more complex version, but this can give you a basic idea of how to get it done.

- Start with a new canvas (500 x 125) and a transparent background.

- You need a nice fat font (sorry TG, monotype corsiva wont work! ). The one I used is called Impact.

- Set the size to 72, color: black, all caps, anti-alaising: sharp and type what you want.

- Now you need to 'fatten' the text. Edit -> transform -> scale. Move your text to the bottom left and drag the top right grab handle to stretch it.

- I didn't like how far apart the letters were so I adjusted the tracking

- Here's where you can do what you want. You can add as many images as you want, but for the 'simple tut, I'm using just one. Use an image that will at the bare minimum fill the width of the text. To see where you image 'fills,' just make your text the top layer and your image(s) under it.

- Once you have it how you like it, CTRL + Click the text layer. You have to CTRL + Click here (you will see a hand w/the marquee around it.

You will now have your text marquee'd on your sig. So make sure you are on you image layer, not the text layer and do a select -> inverse (CTRL + Shift + I), then edit -> clear (or hit backspace). Hide your text layer by clicking the eye and viola.

- Now to spice it up a tad. CTRL + Click the text layer again. After that layer is has the marquee around it, click the 'add new layer button.' Then do an edit -> stroke. 2px, outside, color (your choice.. I used black).

- On your stroke layer, Bring up the blending options menu and make your settings like this.

Bevel..

Color Overlay..

Stroke..

- On your image layer, give it this style..

- Still doesn't have enough 'depth.' So make another new layer and stick it in between the stroke layer and the image layer. Grab your elipse tool and make an oval like so.. (make sure you stretch your canvas so you can make a big oval)

Fill that selection with white, then make the opacity 35%. CTRL + Click your text layer once again (which should still be hidden), and make sure you are on your elipse layer. Once you have the marquee around it, select -> inverse then edit -> clear. (this removes the elipse that you don't want.

- Lastly

(option #1), you can create another layer and fill the entire thing with white, then move it to the bottom to serve as your BG. Works well with forum BG's that are white, gives it that transparent look. File -> save as.. .jpg... DONE!

(option #2), delete the original text layer so you only have 3 layers.. (the stroke, the elipse and the image layers). Do a layer -> merge visible. Add a new layer and fill it with white and make it the bottom layer. Nudge your merged layer up a bit so its about 5 px from the top edge. Then give that layer a drop shadow...

(option #3), If you've done the text how you want it, but you don't want the white BG, try this..

- Assuming you've done/finished option #1, resize your canvas by doing image -> canvas size, change the height to pixels and make it 150. Delete the white BG layer, make a new layer and fill it with black. Move it to the bottom so its your background.

- make another layer and make it the very top layer, do a select -> all, then an edit -> stroke (inside, 1px, color yellow).

- Click the move tool and move your text up, until there is about a 1 or 2 pixel space between the text and border. You have to give the text a black border cause there are white parts that show now since we are using the black BG. So bring up your blending options box and give it a 2 px black stroke set to center.

- Then duplicate the text layer (drag that layer into the add new layer button) and do an edit -> transform -> flip vertically.

- Use that move tool again to move the upside down text so it sits below the other text. Your layers and sig should look like this. (I renamed my layers so you can see whats what).

- make a new layer in between your two text layers Make sure your upside down text is ABOVE the newly created layer and click to select it. Then do a CTRL + E to merge those two layers together (you rasterized it so you can feather it in the next step.. the stroke is still there, but merged).

- Now lets make it look reflective. Do an edit -> select all and then click the marquee tool so you can move the marquee. Move it to about here.. (you can use the arrows on your keyboard to move the marquee or drag it with your mouse.)

- Do a select -> feather, radius 10. Then hit backspace on your keyboard. CTRL + D to deselect the text and finally set that layers opacity to about 50%.

- Still on the upside down text layer, do a filter -> blur -> gaussian blur, radius 1.0.